Anthony Hatcher: GOP barbarians

Political rivals of Renee Ellmers accuse the conservative congresswoman from North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District of being a RINO – Republican in Name Only.

The true RINOS are state legislators such as Phil Berger, Trudy Wade and their ilk. They are not Republicans, but extremists.

While hypocritically preaching small government, they slap fees and sales taxes on everything from movies to auto repairs. They meddle in municipal affairs even as they tout local control. They impose their personal morals on others.

In conjunction with UNC Board of Governors Chairman John Fennebresque and his fellow Republican board members, they are trying to do to our excellent UNC system what they’ve done to my beloved home state.

At the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, a friend called Bill Clinton a barbarian. I couldn’t disagree. But that barbarian hurt mostly himself and his family while presiding over economic expansion and relative peace. The rich got richer, but the middle class saw wages rise. Standards rose for cleaner air and water.

Today’s GOP barbarians are a selfish lot and appear to care for little more than money and power. Here’s hoping the power of the ballot is enough to rid us of their destructive reign.

This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Anthony Hatcher: GOP barbarians."